We all know that at some point, we’ll want to ask for help during a job search. However, it’s important to do this as intelligently as possible. After all, if you don’t, it’s likely that you’ll waste what were potentially valuable opportunities. Do that too often and your errors risk compounding into a downward spiral towards failure. By the same token, do it well and doors will open and opportunities will present themselves.?
Here are some ideas that will help you navigate this potential minefield with ease:?
- Be clear in your thinking and specific in your request. Think deeply about what you want and need from the person in question. This could be an introduction, information, advice, etc. Don’t leave it ambiguous.?
- Ask someone who can help. Armed with that level of thinking, you’re now in a position to find the person / people who are most likely to be in a position to give you the help that you need. Goodwill is a precious resource and we don’t want to burn through it wastefully by not being specific in our requests, or targeting them at the wrong person.?
- Be respectful of the person’s time and avoid over-reach. I firmly believe that most people will help you if they can. I also believe that they are less likely to do so if they think that your request will soak up too much of their time, if it’s too much hassle, or comes with political risks. So, if you’re going to have a meeting, travel to them and be punctual. If it’s online, have your camera set up for a good picture, great lighting and sound. If needed, make sure you’ve downloaded the appropriate video calling app well ahead of time. In the meeting itself, ensure that your request is straightforward, specific and doable. Avoid asking for too much - meaning I can introduce you to my boss but the CEO is too much of a stretch.
- Be clear about what’s in it for the person that you’re asking for help from. The reasons why people will help you are varied. It may be that they are a genuinely good person and like to help people, or they are doing it as a favour for a mutual contact. Most often, it’s because, at least at some level, there’s something in it for them. Perhaps you’ll be a great addition to their firm, or by making an introduction to someone else you’ll induce a sense of reciprocation. Most often, there will be a payoff, whether that be now or later. Work out what that could be and weave that into your request. Once you’ve made your request, offer reciprocation in the future. ‘Please do let me know if I can be of help in the future’, and so on.?
- Have conviction in your ability to add value. In the context of a job search, it will really help if you have an absolute sense of conviction that you have the ability to add an enormous amount of value to the right business. This conviction and congruent belief in yourself, your skills and your experience will underpin your ability to be compelling in your communication and your ability to persuade.
- Keep going until you get the breakthroughs. Not everyone is going to say yes and not everyone will have all the information that you need. Persevere until you get to what you need. You might need to change your approach and adjust your tactics as you learn what works best, and keep going until it pays off.?
- Say thank you. Thank them for the conversation, whether you got the help or not. Say thank you once you’ve met the mutual contact or used the information given. Say thank you at the end of the month and say thank you when you get the job. Leave a trail of thank yous behind you. Generate good feelings and good will and - of course - proactively find ways to reciprocate. Add anyone you met along the path to your network list and ensure that you, in some way, communicate with them at least twice a year.?
In your job search, you’re going to find the job that you want by getting help from others. Having clarity about what help you really need at each step on that journey, finding just the right person to ask for help from in just the right way, and generating enormous amounts of goodwill will be a powerful way to accelerate your progress and make your next smart move.
